Harassment is one of the last things you want in the workplace. You already have a lot to do and you don’t want to be brought down by such a thing. But sadly, harassment in the workplace still persists, mainly because employers don’t do enough to prevent it and some employees just want to do harm to others.

The website www.leichteremploymentlaw.com, however, mentions that those who have experienced discriminatory behavior, including harassment, in the workplace, may have legal options. But how can harassment manifest in the workplace?

Physical Harassment

Harassment happens when an employee has received unwelcome behaviors, usually involving harm or threat of harm. Usually, an employee receives these behaviors because of his age, ethnicity, gender preference, race, religion, and sex.

The most common form of physical harassment is sexual, wherein an employee is receiving unwanted sexual advances or is being exposed to sexual contents or gestures that have the intention to gratify the sexual needs of the harasser or offend the harassed.

Another common form of harassment is violence, either through threat of harm or outright assault. This violence can be as mild as shoving, moderate as fist fighting, and severe as murdering and raping.

Emotional Harassment

Emotional harassment may be harder to prove, because it usually doesn’t leave behind physical evidence, unlike physical harassment that often results into injuries. But it can be argued that emotional harassment can be considered worse, because of the detrimental effects on the victim’s psyche.

Like physical harassment, emotional harassment is received by an employee typically because of his age, ethnicity, gender preference, race, religion, and sex.

One of the most common forms of emotional harassment is bullying, wherein an employee is consistently targeted with behavior that is meant to intimidate him or mock his features. This is particularly common on persons with disabilities, mainly because they often cannot fight for themselves and may be too limited to approach management and explain the situation.